There’s a certain skill to looking like a menace. Some of these celebrities have made a career out of it for decades but very often, they’re the complete opposite in real life. Some of these actors have played the evilest, most deceitful swines in television and film history but once the cameras stop rolling, they like nothing more than a glass of sweet tea and a hug from a kitten.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro (Getty Images)

His friends call him Bob but even they are still a little scared to. Robert De Niro is one of the finest actors of all time but he can be an intimidating man. He seems to carry an aura of respectability with him after playing the likes of Vito Corleone, Travis Bickle, Al Capone and the ultimate father-in-law, Jack Byrne. However, in reality, Bob is a big softie. He keeps a low profile in public because, as his closest friends have set in the past, he wouldn’t have any time left in the day because he’d be too busy signing autographs and speaking to his fans.

The Rock

(Image via Pinterest)

The reason Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is intimidating he’s that wider than he is tall. The former professional wrestler has a massive base of fans loyal to his fitness program. Not only can he smell what is cooking, he knows that it’s going to be organic, healthy and high in protein. He’s a scary looking dude but in reality, is just a big kitten as he has shown in films like Disney’s Moana.

Terry Crews

Terry Crews in scene from “White Chicks”

Much like The Rock, Terry Crews is a muscle bound fitness freak who looks more at home in a cage fight than a water fight. Crews was once a professional footballer, a defensive end and linebacker – two of the most terrifying positions on the field. After retiring from professional sports, Crews turned his attention to acting and found success in Everybody Hates Chris and Brooklyn Nine-Nine but received acclaim for his cameo in Bridesmaids. The 2011 comedy was a smash hit which is still responsible for coffee mugs, t-shirts and even a casino slots game today. Nobody can be scared of Crews after that.

Charles Dance
He terrified both Westeros and the real world with his role as Tywin Lannister in the hit HBO show, Gameof Thrones. Charles Dance is a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company who just speaks with the authority of a classic Shakespearian character. He’s terrifying in almost every film and television show he has ever been in but there’s more to Dance than meets the eye. In an interview about Game of Thrones, Dance revealed that he felt more than a little sympathy for the actor who plays his on-screen son, the person he hates more than anyone else.

“I spent a lot of time between takes apologizing to Peter Dinklage,” Dance revealed. “I treat him appallingly, I treat him like s—.”

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep in “Devil Wears Prada”

Another person on this list who is one of the finest actors currently working, Meryl Streep is more than a little intimidating. Joanna Kramer, Sister Beauvier and perhaps her most memorable character, Miranda Priestly all make for one daunting person. However, an interview with The Devil Wears Prada’s Anne Hathaway seems to suggest otherwise.

“When I met her she gave me a huge hug,” according to Vanity Fair Hathaway remembered. “And I’m like, ‘Oh my god, we are going to have the best time on this movie.’ And then she’s like, ‘Ah sweetie, that’s the last time I’m nice to you.’”

Iwan Rheon

Iwan Rheon. Photograph: Justin van Vliet

Another Game of Thrones entrant on this list is Iwan Rheon. In the hit HBO show, Rheon played Ramsay Bolton, one of the most terrifying and sadistic villains in television history. He was murderous, intelligent and loved nothing more than to flay his victims alive. Iwan Rheon the actor is nothing like Ramsay Bolton. The 32-year-old speaks fluent Welsh and is an accomplished musician in his own right. There’s some slightly off-putting about Ramsay Bolton playing a slow melody on an acoustic guitar.

Tom Hardy

(cinemafestival/Shutterstock)

He’s Bane, he’s Max Rockatansky, he’s the Kray Twins he’s…whatever his character was called in Inception. Tom Hardy is one of the most popular actors working today, known for his intimidating, almost intense presence on screen at times. However, he is by definition, the biggest softie around. Just take a look at Hardy interacting with his dogs and you’ll get the idea.

Javier Bardem

Actor Javier Bardem of Spain, poses for a portrait in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Oscar winner is to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Nov. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

Now here is a scary dude. Javier Bardem terrified us as a hitman in No Country for Old Men, he haunted us as Raoul Silva in Skyfall and it looks like he’s back to playing creepy dudes in the upcoming film, Mother. He’s eerie at times on screen but it turns out, he’s a little kitten off it.

“The Coens [directors of No Country For Old Men] called me the Spanish Ballerina on set,” from Contact Music; Bardem revealed. Every time I had the gun, when they called cut, I’d give it back and say, ‘Take this s**t out of my hands!’ There were laughing, like they couldn’t believe I was supposed to be the villain.”